Staunton River will get its office space renovated this summer but students at Bedford Primary School will have to continue to wait to see if they will get a gymnasium. Let’s hope that wait isn’t too long.

The headlines of both the Roanoke Times and The News&Advance read “National D-Day Memorial at risk of closing.”(May29, 2009. ) As a volunteer of the Memorial and a citizen of Bedford County I implore the residents of Central Virginia not to let that happen.

On behalf of the Bedford County Ministerial Association I’d like to thank Thaxton Baptist Church for holding a job fair on Friday, May 15. On that day representatives of 12 companies that are hiring met with 30 people who came looking for work. I have no idea of the results but I’ll bet somebody who was unemployed on May 15 will be working soon, if not working already, as a result of that job fair. If so then every bit of work that went into that event was worth it.

Liberty University decided last week to remove its financial support of the LU College Democrats group, a move that seems in keeping with the pro-life and pro-family principles the college espouses. In fact, the university appears to be bending over backwards to make some accommodation for the group, but, apparently, to little avail.

As the summer months quickly approach and families start to plan vacations, our country continues to struggle with high energy costs. Unfortunately, Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and other Democrats in Congress are strongly pushing legislation which implements a cap and trade system or more accurately: cap and tax. The simple truth behind the Waxman energy plan is that it raises taxes, kills jobs and will lead to more government intrusion.

Like a dazed dragon you thought you’d slain, former vice president Dick Cheney has arisen from the muck and the ruin of the Bush administration to become the new spokesman for something he really believes in: torture.

Republicans may have thought they had it bad enough when their only spokesman seemed to be radio fanatic Rush Limbaugh. Now they’re saddled with the angry and smug countenance of a man many of them are horrified to see as the new face of their party.

In our March 13 edition, a frequent letter-writer named David McLoughlin, wrote expressing skepticism about the Bible (Which Bible?) and who Jesus is. Then, in our May 13 edition, he noted that nobody responded to his previous letter and asked if that means there is no theological response.

With the thought in mind that atheists have their own holiday (April 1), area pastors may have simply chosen to ignore the letter. Here, at the risk of demonstrating that I’m not as wise as they, is my attempt at a theological response.

Republicans and Democrats alike should at least be able to give President Obama credit for stating this truth about the abortion debate to the 2009 Notre Dame graduating class Sunday: “No matter how much we want to fudge it ... the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable.”

Amazingly each year there is a national immigration ‘lottery’ by which approximately 50,000 foreign nationals get green cards to become legal permanent residents of the U.S. Each successful applicant is chosen at random and given permanent resident status based on pure luck. The visa lottery program threatens national security, results in the unfair administration of our immigration laws, and encourages a cottage industry for fraudulent opportunists.

Whether you’re a marketing genius, a frustrated artist or a history buff, there’s a task for you in your community. Turn a habit or a passion into a way to help others. To submit information for your non-profit group, contact Mary Wiley, Bedford Community Health Foundation, at 586-5292 or info@healthybedford.org.

Only a few weeks remain now until Virginia Democrats must pick their nominee for governor to face Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell in the fall.

The paper’s policy forbids a direct endorsement of any candidate by its correspondents and writers, and I’m happy to abide by that. But I can tell you what many Democrats are weighing as they consider whether to select state senator Creigh Deeds, former delegate Brian Moran, and former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe.

Congratulations are in order for the Bedford area’s General Assembly delegation.

The Family Foundation released its report card for the Virginia General Assembly, covering our state legislature for 2008 and 2009. The delegates and state senators were rated on their record for family-friendly votes. Senator Steve Newman, Delegate Lacey Putney and Delegate Kathy Byron all received a score of 100 percent.

The temperatures are up, the sunscreen is out and the boats are back in full force at Smith Mountain Lake.

National Safe Boating Week is May 16 – 22, which makes now the right time to remind boaters to be safe on the water. “First and foremost, boaters need to think about life jackets and plan to wear them,” a release from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries states. Why? Because a significant number of boaters who lose their lives by drowning each year would be alive today had they worn their life jackets.

On behalf of the Bower Center for the Arts and the Wharton Memorial Foundation, we want to express our appreciation for the work done by Amy Carter as our executive director. As some of you may be aware, in this period of economic downturn, we, like many other non-profit organizations, are unable to continue to fund a salaried position. We therefore regret that we have had to eliminate the executive director position which Amy Carter has so ably filled.

Starting last week and continuing through the end of May, Social Security recipients in the 5th District will see some economic relief as $250 economic recovery payments are sent out. Nearly $37.5 million dollars will be put directly back in the pockets of 5th District residents. The payments, which were provided by the American Recovery Act and Reinvestment Act, started to go out on May 7 with the goal of all the payments being sent out by the end of May.

Congressional Democrats are working to pass a massive new energy tax on all Americans simply for using the only energy option available to them – electricity. Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has introduced the so-called “American Clean Energy and Security” legislation, which implements a cap and trade system or more accurately: cap and tax.

I will be in the meeting room at the Moneta Library from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday May 16.

I hope you will come to discuss any topic of your choosing. By that time we will have made what may be our final filing with FERC on the re-licensing of the Smith Mountain Project. The County is continuing the work on the rewrite if the Zoning Ordinance.

The national Republican Party, already crippled and bleeding, suffered another wound when Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Arlen Specter announced that he was switching to that great defender of the working people: the Democratic Party.

For President Barack Obama - the most effective and most popular world leader on the scene now - it’s another Senate ally that leads him closer to the precious 60 votes that could invoke cloture against any Republican filibuster. He’ll get the last vote when Minnesota’s Al Franken comes on board.